Tab forming unit



May 14,' 1963 6. SMITH ETAL TAB FORMING UNIT 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 OriginalFiled July 7, 1959 I nventors B Mm, 0422 44 May 14, 1963 G. SMITH ETALTAB FORMING UNIT 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 7, 1959 Q s R S FRM y 4, 1963 G. SMITH ETAL 3,089,694

TAB FORMING UNIT Original Filed July 7, 1959 sheets-Sheet 5 &

I we tqrs mi Attorney May 14, 1963 Original Filed July 7, 1 959 G. SMITHETAL 3,089,694

TAB FORMING UNIT 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 [we tor B MW, 6% 7/w Attorney May 14,1963 6. SMITH ETAL TAB FORMING UNIT 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed July'7, 1959 W lnvent ors May 14, 1 G. SMITH ETAL 3,089,694

TAB FORMING UNIT Original Filed July 7, 1959 7 sheets-sheet 6 Inve tors:2: W 4

7 Sheets-Sheet 7 G. SMITH ETAL TAB FORMING UNIT 7 May 14, 1963 OriginalFiled July 7, 1959 United rates hastens 3,0896% TAB FQPMHNG UNHTGeofirey Smith, 44 East lndia Dock Road, and Hans Meyer, 63 Jcddo Road,both of London, England @riginal application July 7, 195?, Ser. No.825,565, new Patent No. 3,i78,910, dated Feb. 26, 1963. Divided and thisapplication Dec. 2, 196%, Ser. No. 73,437

Claims. (Cl. 270-491) The present invention relates to the marking oftextile articles such as articles of clothing, more particularly for thetemporary marking of articles intended to be subjected to laundry ordry-cleaning operations, by means of a tab or label provided with athermoplastic compoent whereby it may be caused to adhere to the articleby the action of heat and pressure and is divided from the G. Smith eta1. application Serial No. 825,565, filed July 7, 1959, now US. PatentNo. 3,678,910.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effectivemeans for forming a tab or label comprising a folded-under edge partwhich is incapable of becoming adhered to the article and thus forms anonadherent finger grip to assist removal of the tab or labei from thearticle at the end of handling operations.

In said application Serial No. 825,565, a machine has been described formarking textile articles wherein the articles to be marked are placed ona pivotally movable article support which is capable in one operativeposition of pressing the article and a tab placed thereover into contactwith a heated presser member which presses the tab into adhering contactwith the article. Said tabs or labels may be preliminarily marked withan identification marking by the mechanism described in co-pendingapplication Serial No. 73,418 simultaneously divided from saidapplication Serial No. 825,565.

A tab or label utilised in accordance with the present invention isconveniently formed from a strip of suitable material including athermoplastic component exposed predominantly on one face whereby, whensubjected to heat and pressure, it may be caused to adhere to thearticle to be marked so as to resist cleaning operations to which thearticle may be subjected, but such that the tab or label can besubsequently removed at the end of such operations by engaging thefinger grip end part. This strip may have a Width equal to the width ofthe finished tab or label, and the finger grip end part may be formed byturning under one end (the leading end) of the strip. Preferably thisoperation is performed by feeding a tabforming length of the stripthrough a pivotal guide in such manner that the leading end of the stripprojects from the guide and by movement of the latter is foldedinitially at right angles to the strip by the action of a presser bar.After severance of the tab-forming length of strip the guide is movedbodily to a point where it is engaged by a gripper and in the course ofthis movement the presser bar is moved relatively to the guide to causethe folded end of the strip to be folded re-entrantly with the adhesiveface of the folded end part in contact with the adhesive face of thestrip thus forming a non-adherent end part. The gripper positions thefinished tab in the marking position and thereafter transfers the tab toa position overlying the article to be marked.

One construction of the machine incorporating the tab forming mechanismis shown on the accompanying drawings in which:

HG. 1 is a side view of the machine with the protecting cover removed.

FIG. 2 is a part sectional plan view on the line H ll of FIG. 1.

t Egg i "a. a

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line iilll1 of FIG. 2.

4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the operat ing parts in thepressing position, F168. 1, 3 and 4 being taken in the direction of thearrow E in FIG. 2.

FlG. 5 is a side elevation view seen in the direction of the arrow F inFIG. 2 and is a view similar to FIG. 1 as seen from the other side or"the machine.

FIG. 6 is a detail view showing the operation of the motor start-stopmechanism.

FIG. 7 is a detail view showing the operation of the printing platen,

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are detail views showing the operation of the tabforming mechanism.

As shown on the accompanying drawings, the machine comprises a mainframe having a base plate 21 and side plates 22. It is enclosed in acasing, not shown, only the pivotally movable article support 23 and theselector wheels for the print unit being exposed. The support 23 has ayieldable presser face 24 and is pivotally mounted at 25 upon lever arms26 (FIG. 3) which extend between the side plates 22 of the machine andcarry a relatively massive Weight 27 at the opposite end. The leversembody spring buffers 28 resting on the base plate 21 of the machine inthe inoperative position of the article support 23 as shown for examplein FIG. 3.

Intermediately of the levers 26 and preferably cornparatively close tothe pivot 25 is a pivot pin 29 pivotally interconnecting the levers 26and a further lever 3i pivoted at 31 between the side plates 22. Theother end of the lever .39 carries a follower roller 32 engagcable by acam 33 on a main shaft 34.

The main shaft 34 is driven by an electric motor 35 through suitablereduction gearing indicated at 36, the final drive being by means of agear wheel 37 on the outer side of the main frame 22.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 the article support is pivotally connected toa U-shaped latch arm 38 having an L-shaped slot 39 co-operating with afixed pin 40 secured to one side frame member 22. The pin 40 alsosupports an actuator slide 41 which is slotted as indicated at 46' (FlG.'6) to permit the actuator slide 41 to come into operative engagementwith a switch 42, which may be a micro switch, for starting and stoppingthe motor 35. The latch arm 38 is provided with an inturned flanged edgepart 43 (FIG. 2) which, when the article support 23 is moved inwardlyfrom the load ing position shown in FIG. 1 to the pressing positionshown in MG. 3 (in chain-dot lines) and in FIG. 6 presses against theend face of the actuator slide 41 and moves the latter into operativeengagement with the switch 42 to start the motor 35.

The U-shaped latch arm 38 is subjected to the action of a pull-downspring 44 and is provided with a depending nose 45 which, in thestarting position shown in PEG. 6, engages a pin 47 on the gear wheel 37and thus initially holds the forward end of the latch arm 38 in theuppermost position shown in fulll lines in FIG. 6. However, immediatelyafter the article support 23 has been moved to the inward position shownin FIG. 6 the motor 35 will normally be started by the closing of switch42 and the gear wheel 37 then rotates in the counter-clockwise directionas seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 6 so that the pin 47 disengages fromthenose part 45 and allows the latch arm 38 to drop so that the nearlyvertical part of the slot 39 drops on to the pin 40 thus locking thearticle support 23 in the vertical position of FIG. 6. If, however, themotor 35 has not been started for any reason, locking upon the pin 40does not occur so that the article support 23 can be moved to itsforwardly pivoted position.

Operation of the motor continues since the actuator slide 41 is held inits switch-operating position by the engagement of the flange 43 againstthe slide 41. The motor continues to operate for one complete markingcycle represented by one revolution of the gear wheel 37 and of the mainshaft 34. Towards the end of this revolution the pin 47 engages adepending lug part 49 of the actuator slide 41 and lifts the end part ofsaid slide out of engagement with the switch 42 so that the motor stopsat about the same moment that the pin 47 again engages the nose part tolift the latch arm 38 to disengage it from the pin 40, permitting thearticle support 23 to move to its inclined position as shown in FIG. 1.Towards the end of this return movement a projecting portion 50 of thelatch arm 38 engages a lug portion 51 of the actuating slide 41 andreturns it to its starting position ready for the next operation of themachine and permits the actuator slide 41 to return to its down positionshown in FIG. 1 without further actuating the switch 42.

The means provided according to the invention for forming tabs and forpositioning the formed tabs over an article applied to the articlesupport 23 when the latter is moved to the vertical pressing position,are shown in PKG. 6. The tabs so formed are fed to the marking positionby means of a gripper 55 comprising relatively movable jaws. Thisgripper is movable through an angle of approximately 90 from the tabreceiving and marking position a to a tab-applying position [2 bothindicated in FIG. 2. In the normal inoperative position of the machinethe gripper 55 (FIGURES l and 7) is located at an intermediate positionapproximately as shown in FIG. 2 and is then moved first in thecounterclockwise direction to the tab receiving and marking position aand then swung through 90 to the tab applying position b. This gripperis rotatable on a vertical rod 56 and operated by an axially movableconnector rod 57 by spring transmission means from a projecting arm 58forming part of a lever 59 pivoted to one side frame 22 at 60, and lyingbetween the gear wheel 37 and the frame 22. In FIG. 1 the lever 59 isshown in full lines in its normal intermediate position corresponding tothe intermediate position of the gripper shown also in full lines inFIG. 2. The lever 59 is connected to a projecting arm 61 lying on theouter side of gear wheel 37, and which is shaped for co-operation with apin 62 projecting from the outer face of the gear wheel 37, said cambeing shaped so that when the motor is started the pin 62 presses thearm 61 in the downward direction so that the arm 58 moves the connectingrod 57 towards the right-hand side of FIG. 1 to move the gripper 55 tothe position a to pick up a tab. As the pin 62 moves away from the arm61 the pin 47 on the opposite side of the gear wheel 37 engages a sideface part of the lever 59 and moves this reversely through to the endalternative position shown in chain double dot lines to actuate thegripper 55 to transfer the formed and marked tab to the position b inFIG. 2.

The construction of the gripper 55 is also shown on FIG. 3 of thedrawings: it comprises upper and lower jaw members the lower jaw beingpivotally mounted at 64 and engaged by the flanged head of a sleeve 65slidable but not rotatable upon the rod 56 upon which the whole gripper55 rotates when actuated by the connector rod 57. The sleeve 65 isguided at its lower end by a projecting plate 66 having a dependingblade 67 fitting within a groove 68 of the main shaft 34, thuspreventing rotation of the sleeve 65 while permitting vertical movementby the engagement of a cam element 69 on the main shaft with the plate66. These means provide for the opening and closing of the jaws ofgripper 55 as and when required.

The operation of the tab forming mechanism will now be described withreference to FIGS. 8 to 10. A strip 71 of tab-forming material issupplied from a suitable 4- storage reel 72 (FIGURE 5) mounted on theother side frame 22 of the machine and is fed over a guide unit 73housing a serrated feed wheel 74 operated step-by-step on each operationof the machine by means of a feeder bar 75 having a lug 76 which engagessuccessive driving pins 77 on the wheel 74. A suitable spring operatedpresser wheel 78 is arranged above the feed wheel 74 to provide counterpressure to ensure the feed of the strip 71 on each operation of themachine. The feeder bar 75 is rotatable upon a crank pin 70 on a camdisc 79 carried by the main shaft 34 so that on each operation of themachine the feed wheel 74 delivers (feed position in FIG. 8) atab-forming length of the strip 71 into a guide member 80 pivotallymounted on the end of a lever 81 pivoted at 82 to one side frame 22 ofthe machine. During the feed motion of the strip 71 (FIG. 8) the guidemember 00 is displaced relatively to the lever 81 by means of aprojecting arm portion 84 depending from the guide 80 which engages apin 85 on the outer side of an arm 86 fixed to the main shaft 34. Due tothe pivoting motion of the guide member 80 the projecting tip part 711of the strip 71 is located beenath a presser bar 87, this presser barbeing formed by a bent end part of a spring blade member 88 extendingalong the leading edge of the lever 81.

After the new length of strip 71 has been projected so that the tip part711 lies beneath the presser bar 87, the guide member 80 pivots on thelever 81, due to the rotation of the shaft 34 and the movement of thepin 85, and reaches the position shown in FIG. 9 so that the presser bar87 serves to bend the leading tip part 711 downwardly at right angles tothe length of the strip. On continuing movement of the main shaft 34 thepin 85 on the arm 86 engages a cam surface 91 associated with the lever81 to move the latter to the position shown in FIG. .10 where a fixedprojection 92 engages the spring 88 to cause the presser bar 87 tocomplete the folding under of the tip part 711 to form the finished tab.On first operation of the gripper 55, the finished tab held by the guide80 is engaged by the gripper and is then ready to receive a printedmarking. Before the lever 81 commences to move from the position inFIGS. 8 and 9 the dab-forming length of strip 71 is severed from thestrip by means of a pivoted cutter 94 which is shown in FIG. 10 at theend of its cutting stroke. Actuation of the cutter 94 is performed fromthe main shaft 34 by engagement of the pin on the opposite face of thearm 86 to the pin 85, with the cam-like edge of a rocker plate 95pivoted on a pin 96 on the main frame 22. This rocker plate 95 is linkedby pivot 97 to a vertical slide bar 98 operating the cutter 94. Therocker plate 95 is also attached to a U-shaped member 99 (as seen inFIG. 2) linked to vertical push-rod 100 serving to operate the printunit P.

The print unit P serves for marking identification numerals on the tabor label held by the gripper 55. Such unit comprises a number of typemeans for printing identification characters on the tab or label. Theact of printing is performed by a platen member 101 and it will be seenthat the operation of the guide 80 to the position shown in FIG. 10brings the tab or label to a position over the platen 101 where it isengaged by the gripper 55. During the operating cycle of the machine apreviously formed tab or label has been transferred from the guide 80 tothe gripper 55 and held by the latter over the platen 101 after theguide 80 has returned to the FIG. 8 position.

At the commencement of the tab applying cycle a sharp upward movement isapplied to the platen 101 to perform the printing operation. As shown inFIGS. 5 and 7 the platen 101 is carried by a vertically movable strip102 subjected to the action of a spring 103 and pivotally connected to alever 104 controlled by the engagement of a pin 106 with the cam 79 onthe main shaft 34. Prior to the printing motion the cam 79 depresses thelever 104 and the strip 102 thus compressing the spring 103 and when thepin 106 passes off the peak of the cam 105 the spring 103 becomesoperative to force the strip 102 and the platen 101 upwardly with ahammer-like action to print a marking from the type faces of the printunit P on the tab or label carried by the gripper 55 thus marking aclear impression on the tab. After the printing operation a circularportion of the cam 105 holds the platen 16 1 in an intermediate positionsuch as is shown in FIG. 5.

In operation of the machine as described so far it may be assumed thatthe parts are in the starting position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, thegripper 55 is in an intermediate position and the tab-forming mechanismis in the starting position shown in FIG. 5, a length of tab strip 71being already severed. An article to be marked is placed on the support23 and the latter is pressed inwardly to the chain-dot line positionshown in FIG. 3 thus starting the motor 35 and initiating one completerevolution of the main shaft 34. After a short interval the cam 33 onthe main shaft depresses the roller 32 and lifts the article support 23'which is already latched in the vertical position by engagement of thenearly vertical section of the slot 39 on the pin 40. Initially theright-hand end of the lever 26 is raised to press the article and thetab or label positioned thereover into engagement with a heated fixedplaten 120 supported between the side frame members 22. When operativeengagement with the platen has been effected the continuing lift actionof the cam 33 is transmitted through the lever 26 to the weight 27 sothat the iatter becomes operative to provide the eflective upwardpressure on the article support 23-, the position of the parts at thistime being indicated on FIG. 4. It will be appreciated that the cam 33has a circular face portion the dimensions of which control the periodfor which pressure is maintained upon the article and the tab or label,it being assumed that the motor 35 and the main shaft '34 operate atconstant speed.

Dealing now with the operation of the tab forming and feed mechanism, itwill be seen that at the commencement of the operating cycle the guide84 was in the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 9 and is then actuated tocomplete the formation of the tab and to position it over the platen 1&1where it is engaged by the gripper 55 and thereafter the guide 80returns to its starting position and the commencement of the formationof the next tab is initiated as shown in FIG. 8. The preceding tab nowheld by the gripper 55 receives a printed impression by the operation ofthe platen 101 and thereafter by the partial rotary movement of thegripper 55 the marked tab is brought to a position overlying the articlefed into the marking position by the article support 23, these variousoperations being performed at the same time as the article is beingbrought into the marking position and before the support 23 is raised bythe cam 33. The gripper 55 holds the folded-under end part 711 of thetab clear of the presser face 24 and due to this fact and to the factthe folded under end part of the strip is incapable of adhering to thearticle a nonadherent finger grip is thereby formed. On completion ofthe marking and tab-applying cycle the article support 23 is releasedand this moves to its starting position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 ready forthe next marking cycle and the gripper 55 returns to its intermediatestarting position.

The print unit P embodies a cut-off arm 107 which is actuated oncompletion of the printing of the tab or labels for a series ofarticles. The cut-off arm 107 is adapted to disable the machine bypreventing further operation of the motor 35. This may be performed by aseparate switch connected in series with the switch 42 or convenientlyand as shown the cut-off arm 1G7 extends through a slot in the sideframe members 22 and is linked through a tension spring 108 to theactuator slide 41 so that after printing the last tab or label the 6slide 41 is lifted and is thus made inoperative when the article support23 is moved inwardly.

It may be desirable to arrange for the print unit P to print anidentification marking on the customers receipt or token and for thispurpose a hand-operating member may be provided for the platen 191 andarranged so that this printing does not actuate the batch register. Thishand actuator may embody a cam device and depresses the plate 192. tocompress the spring 103 and then releases it to perform the printingoperation, these operations being performed independently of the cam 79.

In some cases it may be desirable to vary the operative pressing timeand/or the effective pressure in order to adapt the machine for applyingtabs or labels 'to widely varying types of article to be marked. Forthis purpose an externally operable control knob or dial may be providedwhich is adapted either to displace the weight 27 on the lever arms 26so as to vary the pressure, an-d/ or alternative cams 33 may be broughtinto operation so as to vary the pressing itme. In many cases theadjustment may vary both factors, i.e. the operative pressure and thepressing time, simultaneously, and the operating means may be calibratedwith markings representing the different types of article which may bemarked.

What we claim is:

l. Mechanism for forming heat scalable tabs for attachment to textilearticles, comprising a displaceable tubular guide, means to feed a stripof tab-forming material having one adhesive face through said guide fromone end so as to project beyond the other end of said guide, a deflectormember positioned adjacent the said other end of said guide, deflectormoving means for imparting transverse relative displacement between saiddeiiector member and said guide so as to bend the projectinfi part ofthe strip at an angle to the length of the strip remaining within saidguide, means to sever a tabforming length of strip from the length ofsaid strip and means to displace the guide together with the deflectormember from a first position to a second position, said deflector movingmeans including means to effect movement of the deflector memberrelatively to the guide in a direction parallel to the length of thestrip so as to effect folding under of the projecting part of the stripwith the adhesive face portions in mutual contact to produce a tab witha non-adherent finger grip port-ion incapable of adhering to an articleto which the tab is applied.

2. Mechanism for forming and feeding heat scalable tabs for attachmentto textile articles, comprising a pivotally movable guide, means to feeda strip of tab-forming material having one adhesive face through saidguide from one end so as to project beyond the other end of said guide,a deflector member positioned adjacent the said other end of said guide,means to impart pivotal movement to said guide deflector moving meansfor moving said deflector across the path of said strip to bend theprojecting part of the strip, means to sever a tabforming length ofstrip from the length of said strip and means to displace the guidebodily together with the deflector member from a first position to asecond position, said deflector moving means including means foreffecting movement of the deflector member relatively to the guide in adirection parallel to the length of the strip so as to effect foldingunder of the projecting part of the strip with the adhesive faceportions in mutual contact to produce a tab with a non-adherent fingergrip portion incapable of adhering to an article to which the tab isapplied and transfer means engageable with the folded under projectingpart of the tab to transfer the tab to a third position where it isapplied in contact with the article to be marked.

3. Tab-forming mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide ispivotally mounted upon a lever carcrying the deflector member, saiddeflector member being springily mounted on the lever, and comprisingoperating means to position the guide to receive the leading end of astrip of tab material received in said guide and projecting forwardlytherefrom with the deflector member positioned above the projectingleading end of the strip received within said guide, means to effectpivotal movement of the guide relatively to the lever so as to effectinitial downward bending of the leading end of the strip by co-operationwith the deflector member, means thereafter to effect rotarydisplacement of the lever together with the guide to effect transfer ofthe severed tab length within the guide to a position in which thedeflector memher is yieldingly deflected beneath the guide to elfectfolding of the leading end of the tab in U-formation for engagement bythe transfer member after which the lever returns to its first position,and a tab transfer member for gripping and feeding the tab.

4. Tab-forming mechanism as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a tabstrip feeder means to project a tab-forming length of strip into theguide, said tab feeder means including tab strip severing means to cutoff a predetermined length of strip material after the tab length hasbeen inserted into the guide.

5. Tab-forming mechanism according to claim 3 further comprising meansto displace the lever from a first position receiving a tab-forminglength of strip material thereafter severed from the supply strip, to asecond position Where completion of the folding of the leading edge ofthe strip and transfer thereof to the transfer member is effected, afterwhich the lever and guide return to the first position, printing meansoperative upon the tab to print an identification and means to actuatethe transfer member to position the marked tab over an article toreceive the marked tab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. MECHANISM FOR FORMING HEAT SEALABLE TABS FOR ATTACHMENT TO TEXTILEARTICLES, COMPRISING A DISPLACEABLE TUBULAR GUIDE, MEANS TO FEED A STRIPOF TAB-FORMING MATERIAL HAVING ONE ADHESIVE FACE THROUGH SAID GUIDE FROMONE END SO AS TO PROJECT BEYOND THE OTHER END OF SAID GUIDE, A DEFLECTORMEMBER POSITIONED ADJACENT THE SAID OTHER END OF SAID GUIDE, DEFLECTORMOVING MEANS FOR IMPARTING TRANSVERSE RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN SAIDDEFLECTOR MEMBER AND SAID GUIDE SO AS TO BEND THE PROJECTINFI PART OFTHE STRIP AT AN ANGLE TO THE LENGTH OF THE STRIP REMAINING WITHIN SAIDGUIDE, MEANS TO SEVER A TABFORMING LENGTH OF STRIP FROM THE LENGTH OFSAID STRIP AND MEANS TO DISPLACE THE GUIDE TOGETHER WITH THE DEFLECTORMEMBER FROM A FIRST POSITION TO A SECOND POSITION, SAID DEFLECTOR MOVINGMEANS INCLUDING MEANS TO EFFECT MOVEMENT OF THE DEFLECTOR MEMBERRELATIVELY TO THE GUIDE IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE LENGTH OF THESTRIP SO AS TO EFFECT FOLDING UNDER OF THE PROJECTING PART OF THE STRIPWITH THE ADHESIVE FACE PORTIONS IN MUTUAL CONTACT TO PRODUCE A TAB WITHA NON-ADHERENT FINGER GRIP PORTION INCAPABLE OF ADHERING TO AN ARTICLETO WHICH THE TAB IS APPLIED.